Starfield is lastly right here and it’s massive, complicated, and infrequently overwhelming. There’s lots of stuff on this recreation and it’s straightforward to get misplaced making an attempt to do all of it and see every part the sport has to supply. So that can assist you keep away from getting misplaced in house, we’ve collected over two dozen suggestions and tips that can assist you get began in Bethesda’s large house RPG.
Starfield, out now on Game Pass, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, may not be Bethesda’s greatest RPG, however it’s positively its greatest and most sprawling one but. One minute you’re haggling with a barkeep for info and the subsequent you’re capturing a bunch of house pirates and stealing all of their credit. But there’s lots of trivialities to get misplaced in, from complicated menus to maps that don’t inform you the place something is. Use this fast information to assist kickstart your journey into the outer reaches of the galaxy.
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Don’t fear about how your character appears
You can change it anytime by visiting an Enhance! store and paying 500 credit. The nearest one initially is within the business district in New Atlantis.
Make exhausting saves on a regular basis
You by no means know when issues may go mistaken in Starfield. You may fail a persuasion roll or get jumped by big aliens, and even by accident crash your ship into the house station you’re making an attempt to dock on. The recreation auto-saves however it’s not full-proof. It’s a Bethesda game, in any case.
Lower music quantity and lift voice quantity
Starfield comes out of the gate with very loud and intense music. And that’s high quality. But after about 20 minutes, I struggled to listen to what folks had been saying. Looking on the default settings, voice quantity isn’t as excessive because it most likely must be, so knock that up a bit and switch music down just a little, too. Trust me, you’ll nonetheless have the ability to hear it high quality.
Loot the pirates after the primary combat for an assault rifle
The first massive combat in Starfield isn’t very exhausting and the sport rapidly pushes you to go away. But first, go seize no less than one assault rifle (and another goodies) off these pirates you simply wasted.
Loot every part and provides it to Vasco
Speaking of looting stuff, be happy to seize every part and simply dump it on the robotic who companions up with you within the early hours of Starfield. Like in earlier Bethesda video games, your companions are pack mules with dialogue timber. Use ‘em! To do so, just chat with the bot (or other companions) and ask to trade items.
Use cover like a modern shooter
Aiming near cover will have you pop out in a way that feels unlike any previous Bethesda RPG. Sure, dynamic cover like this has been around since 2012-ish, but hey, I’m not going to complain about Starfield having good fight in comparison with Fallout 4 and Skyrim.
Use the laser mining instrument for killing
The Cutter you get on the very starting is deceptively nice in battle. It works on a cooldown with limitless ammo, and may stun-lock enemies at shut vary. Pull it out each every so often to save lots of valuable bullets early on.
Set your helmet and house swimsuit to vanish when not wanted
Early on within the recreation, Starfield tells you to enter your menus to place in your helmet. You is likely to be mistaken and assume it’s a must to do that each time you need to take it off or put it on. (And you want it out in house to reside.) But nope! Just depart it and your swimsuit on, then go into the stock part for every. You’ll discover an choice on the backside of the display screen letting them disappear robotically when not wanted, like in cities or stations. No extra operating round cities trying like a large dork!
Pump up your persuasion trait ASAP!
If you don’t need to waste all of your sources combating by means of each encounter, be certain to place some factors into persuasion. It will improve the percentages you could speak folks down from fights and usually make it a lot simpler to govern folks, which is why you’re taking part in this recreation, proper?
Careful you don’t promote your geared up gear
The recreation received’t examine you when you’re pawning off all of your loot so spam that promote button with warning.
Save time by fast-traveling immediately by means of the search menu
You don’t all the time need to navigate by means of your cumbersome star chart to get to a brand new planet. If you need to go to the subsequent location for a mission and also you’ve already been there earlier than, merely use the “select course” choice from the pause menu to robotically head to the vacation spot.

Scan every part on a regular basis
Starfield principally provides you detective imaginative and prescient. In addition to scanning planets, your helmet sensor may also scan every part proper in entrance of you, highlighting close by enemies and helpful loot. This can be the way you survey fauna for further XP. Plus, you should utilize it to search out your ship’s location on the horizon and immediately quick journey to it.
Don’t overlook to take a nap
Sleeping will totally heal you and likewise offer you a “well-rested” bonus that will increase the speed at which you earn XP.
Use the analysis station in your ship to get entry to extra craftable stuff
You can improve weapons, fits, and helmets in addition to prepare dinner meals on this recreation. But you’ll want to do a little analysis first. You’ll want some supplies, like iron and fiber, however upon getting some you’ll be able to unlock new mods and issues to craft, letting you enhance weapons and make good fits even higher.
Hitting undo whereas lockpicking nonetheless spends a digipick
So watch out, they’re exhausting to come back by!
Use your ship stock
You don’t simply have to offer all your further gadgets to companions or throw them on the ground, it’s also possible to retailer them within the ship’s cargo maintain by deciding on it from the ship a part of the menu (backside left). It’s not limitless however it has greater than sufficient room at first.
Designate weapons and therapeutic gadgets as favorites to save lots of time
As far as I can inform, within the first few hours of the sport no less than, Starfield doesn’t say something about favoriting weapons. But you need to completely try this! Like in previous Bethesda video games, you’ll be able to map weapons, medkits, knives, and extra to your d-pad after which rapidly swap weapons throughout fight while not having to open the sport’s (not nice) menus. Simply exchange an merchandise with one thing else to vary up your favorites.
Look for beds when clearing out house dungeons
Battles in Starfield could be robust, particularly early on. And when you don’t have many medpacks to heal your wounds, you may find yourself in a foul state of affairs. However, many outposts and enemy camps include beds you could sleep in to heal again as much as full HP.
You can’t sleep in energetic fight so that you’ll want to cover from the AI a bit if enemies are round, however that’s often fairly straightforward. You may also sleep after massive fights, earlier than transferring deeper into the placement, in order to not waste medpacks.
Be cautious with contraband
In Starfield contraband gadgets—marked with a yellow icon—are very helpful but in addition tough to promote, as any time you warp into UC or Freestar house you’ll be scanned for this stuff. And when you have some in your ship, you’ll be in lots of hassle.
However, you’ll be able to set up (or discover a ship that features) a shielded cargo maintain that may allow you to smuggle this stuff round with much less menace of being caught and despatched to house jail.
Get drunk (or take sure chems) earlier than making an attempt to influence
There are moments in Starfield the place you’ll want to influence an NPC, maybe to get what you need or to make them change their thoughts. While I like to recommend leveling up your Persuasion talent, it’s also possible to make these moments simpler by consuming chems or booze that increase your Persuasion potential for a short while.
Also, all the time carry some Amp on you
Speaking of chems, all the time carry some Amp on you. This chem allows you to transfer sooner for a brief period of time and could be very helpful for exploring planets, as Bethesda didn’t embrace any floor autos in Starfield.

Go seize a greater ship early on through a easy questline
Your first ship in Starfield isn’t nice! But that’s okay as a result of there’s a wonderful spaceship simply ready to be grabbed through a brief and enjoyable questline involving a legendary slayer of pirates.
Check your stock for heavy gadgets like ship elements
Being overencumbered sucks! And it could possibly occur simply within the early hours of the sport. To keep away from this, be sure you examine your total stock for heavy gadgets. You can do that by deciding on all gadgets in your stock display screen after which sorting every part by weight.
Keep a watch out for ship elements, that are helpful in your ship, however nugatory and really heavy paperweights in your character’s stock.
Don’t ignore the primary quest (significantly)
No story spoilers right here, however belief us: Play the primary questline. You don’t essentially want to complete it straight away—even when there may be some cool stuff ready for you in new recreation+—however positively make progress in it. Not solely are the story quests fairly good throughout, however you’ll unlock some…further issues value having.
Use your jetpack on low-grav planets to maneuver rapidly
Once you unlock the jetpack (or the boostpack because it’s referred to as in-game) use it! This will help pace up traversal on planets with low gravity as you’ll be able to fly lengthy distances by timing your jets correctly, letting your stamina recharge within the course of.
Level up lockpicking early
If you’ve performed lots of Bethesda video games, that having the ability to lockpick and hack something could be extraordinarily helpful. And that’s the case right here in Starfield. Even higher, the digital lockpicking talent covers each doorways and computer systems. Level it up ASAP so you’ll be able to unlock higher loot and discover simpler routes throughout some quests.
Also, all the time purchase lockpicks and medpacks at shops
Another tip I’ve picked up from previous Bethesda video games: Always be shopping for lockpicks and well being kits. Seriously, make it a behavior to examine for this stuff each time you arrive at a store or meet up with a service provider.
Slap some further cargo in your spaceship
Being capable of drop off all of your sources and heavy, helpful loot at your ship is helpful! However, you’ll rapidly run out of room in your cargo maintain when you don’t improve it. While there’s a perk you’ll be able to improve to enhance your ship’s cargo capability, I like to recommend putting in extra storage items in your ship.
You can do that at any port with a ship tech NPC, and it’s not very costly. Just open up the ship builder, seize some cargo storage containers, and fasten them to your starship. Now you’ll be able to carry much more random junk you discover throughout your galactic adventures.
Update 9/7/2023 4:05 p.m. ET: After taking part in extra Starfield, we’ve added 11 extra tricks to this checklist!
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